


Coming Into the Light

by Sheyamiku



Series: The Badger and the Snake [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:53:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25963159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sheyamiku/pseuds/Sheyamiku
Summary: ONESHOT! Andromeda and Ted are a couple in love, and maybe it is time for them to tell the world.
Relationships: Andromeda Black Tonks/Ted Tonks
Series: The Badger and the Snake [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884421
Kudos: 5





	Coming Into the Light

‘I’ve got to go, I promised my mom I'd come home this weekend,’ Ted said.

Andromeda pushed herself closer to him. ‘Then owl her. Tell her you had a change of plans.’

Ted laughed. ‘First of all, I will not _owl_ my mother when I can use a phone. She hates having to clean up their feathers. Second of all, that would only worry her further.’

‘Why?’ Moaned Andromeda.

‘Because “Sorry mom, I had a change of plans” either sounds like I got into trouble, or I'm avoiding her.’

Andromeda rose an eyebrow. ‘But you won't tell her that,’ she said with a smile, ‘What you'll be telling her is “sorry mom, I won't be coming home this weekend because I just got back together with my amazing girlfriend and she wants me all for herself _._ ”’

Ted was speechless for a second, looking at her in disbelief. Then, he smiled. _Oh, that smile!_

‘You want me to tell the truth?’ He asked, nonplussed.

Andromeda gazed into his eyes. ‘Yes.’

‘Wow...’ Ted was gaping numbly. ‘It's just - we've been - you - For so long, we've been hiding, it just...’

Andromeda laughed and grabbed his face between her palms, wondering briefly if he could feel, like she did, her heartbeat pulsing through her entire body.

‘I know,’ she breathed. ‘I guess we can start coming into the light, now. Step by step.’

Ted let his brow fall against hers and closed his eyes. ‘That's good,’ he said softly, and added : ‘I love you.’

She let her fingers glide to his neck and tangle in his hair.

‘I love you, too.’

Ted leaned in and she did the same and their kiss was sweet and soft and tender. Ted smiled into it before pulling away gently.

‘Slytherin's cunning, huh? I nearly forgot I had to go.’

Andromeda groaned and linked her fingers around his waist. ‘Do you want to fight me, Ted?’ She asked mischievously.

‘If it's foreplay, I won't say no.’

Andromeda rolled her eyes but she could not stop the smile growing on her face.

‘What do I have to do to keep you with me?’

Ted raised both eyebrows. ‘That sounded an awful lot like pleading!’

‘See? Is my sincerity not enough to convince you?’

‘I'm afraid it might be...’

Andromeda gave him a lingering kiss. ‘So stay,’ she said, and turned around to grab a cup of tea.

Ted simply watched her for a few seconds before releasing a long sigh.

‘Fine but we'll have to leave the flat anyway,’ he said.

Andromeda frowned. ‘I'm not going out unless there's a very good reason for it.’

Ted laughed and walked to join her, hugging her from behind and posing small kissed on her neck as she threw her head back to rest on his shoulder.

‘I have to call my mother, tell her about my amazing girlfriend and I getting back together, and since you're the reason why I'm doing this, you're coming with me.’

Andromeda turned around to face him and, meeting his eyes, raised an eyebrow as she took a sip of her tea.

‘You're awfully clingy, Tonks.’ She said, and walked away before Ted could do anything but huff in disbelief.

Andromeda stopped at her bedroom's door frame. ‘It's hard to refuse you...,’ she said softly, smiling.

Ted deflated as his heart melted. ‘You're one to talk,’ he whispered, and went to join her.

‘Hey, mom!’

Incomprehensible talking on the other side of the line.

‘Yes, yes, me too – well, actually - no, listen - mom I won't be home this weekend.’

Brief silence, then, a question.

‘No, no, I'm fine. More than fine, actually. Mom, do you remember Andromeda? The girl I talked to you about?’

Next to him, Andromeda smirked. ‘How often?’

Ted creased his nose at her but he was smiling.

‘Yes, I met her again a few days ago. We're back together, mom.’

Andromeda felt her throat tighten in anticipation as the line got silent again. Ted's mother asked another question, and she thought she heard the word "happy" in it. She gulped uneasily.

Ted, however, was smiling sweetly. ‘Yes, mom. Of course I am,’ he said, looking Andromeda straight in the eyes as he did so.

Andromeda managed a faint smile of her own, feeling slightly relieved.

‘Actually,’ added Ted all of a sudden. ‘She's right next to me. She wants to say hello.’

Andromeda nearly choked. Her brain broke into a loop of “ _What? What? What? What?”_ and she started waving manically for him not to hand her the phone. Ted, of course, was brightly ignoring her protests. Before she could do anything, she had a phone to her ear and was trapped between Ted's body and the glass of the telephone booth.

‘Mrs Tonks?’ She managed to call, surprising herself with how steady her voice sounded.

On the other side of the line, Mrs Tonks replied brightly. ‘Andromeda? You have a beautiful voice, sweetheart. Ted has talked so much about you, it feels like I know you already!’

Something peculiar happened to Andromeda then; she felt her eyes sting.

Unable to say a word, she simply gaped at Ted, her mind too busy for her to process any of the thoughts going through it.

‘What is it?’ Asked Ted, worried.

Andromeda's lips moved but her throat was too tight. It was Mrs Tonks's voice on the other side of the phone, the concerned ‘Andromeda, dear?’, that finally unlocked her voice.

‘Yes, Mrs Tonks, I'm sorry,’ she said precipitately, grabbing the phone from Ted who had been holding it against her ear up till then. ‘Can you hear me? I'm not used to... _telephones_ ,’ she said.

She was not entirely lying either, the device felt awkward in her hand and she felt like she should shout into it otherwise Mrs Tonks would not hear her. Even the word tasted strange on her tongue.

On the other side of the line, Mrs Tonks let out a laugh that sounded strikingly similar to her son’s.

‘I can hear you fine, darling, I can hear you fine. Ted told me witches and wizards do not use phones, I hope he's teaching you well!’

‘He is, Mrs Tonks,’ Andromeda said. ‘I'm sorry for keeping him from you this weekend.’

Mrs Tonks let out a dismissive huff. ‘Not at all! Not at all! You two take all the time you need! No, no, no... I'm just happy if he's happy, that's what matters.’

Andromeda felt her throat tighten again. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

‘She can't hear a nod, love,’ said Ted.

Andromeda pushed him playfully and cleared her throat. ‘Of course,’ she managed.

‘Do visit soon, sweetheart,’ said Mrs Tonks. ‘We would all be thrilled to meet you at last.’

Andromeda stopped herself from nodding again. ‘I'd love to, Mrs Tonks, if it's not too much of a bother.’

‘Absolutely not, absolutely not! I insist, call on us next week. Tell that to my son and see when you can come.’

‘I will,’ said Andromeda. ‘Thank you.’

‘Not at all, not at all!’

‘I hope to see you soon, then.’

‘See you soon, love, we can't wait to meet you. And take good care of Teddy for me, will you?’

‘Of course, Mrs Tonks.’

‘See you soon, honey.'’

‘Yes. See you soon.’

Andromeda let go of the phone when she heard a _clap_ on the other end, assuming it meant Mrs Tonks had put hers back down from wherever she was.

She handed the phone back to Ted who hung it back against the booth before giving her a long-lasting look.

‘So?’ He asked.

‘She sounds lovely,’ said Andromeda with a smile. And she really meant it.

‘Was she... reluctant, or...?’

‘She was very enthusiastic actually. She kept saying she was excited to meet me,’ Andromeda hugged herself as she continued. 'She kept calling me "sweetheart" and "honey" and "love"... She seemed so happy for you...'

Her eyes lost beyond the window, she did not see Ted frown as much as she felt it.

‘You okay?’ He asked softly.

Andromeda opened her mouth to say she was fine but found she could not. There it was again. Her throat tightened and her eyes began to sting. She hugged herself tighter and, as Ted was waiting for an answer, dared only shrug.

‘Come here,’ said the Hufflepuff, pulling her to him.

His embrace was as warm and comforting as ever. She grabbed him tightly and took a deep breath.

‘I just wish I could talk to _my_ mother —' Her voice broke right as she finished her sentence, and tears rolled down her cheeks.

She hid her face against Ted's shoulder and tried to contain her sobs. Thankfully, she had calmed down barely a minute later.

Ted was still holding her and suddenly, he chuckled.

‘Can it be considered a successful first meeting if the first time you speak with my mother you end up crying?’

Andromeda chuckled weakly. ‘I think this one can. If she's like you and she was being honest, then she seemed genuinely happy at the idea of meeting me.’

‘Of course she's happy to meet you!’ Ted exclaimed. ‘She knows how much I love you.’

Andromeda turned her head to look into his eyes.

‘But does she know how much I love you?’ She asked.

Ted hesitated as humour left his face. ‘Look,’ he said. ‘Honestly, she saw how much it hurt me, when we broke up, and I think she worries that this will happen again. I think she worries that I care about you more than you care about me.’

Andromeda bit her lip and held his face between her hands.

‘But you know it's not true, do you? You know I love you so much...’

Ted sighed. ‘Andromeda... I know you love me, yes,’ he said. ‘But whether or not we last forever doesn't depend on that, does it?’

No it didn't. It depended on Andromeda's family. It depended on the choices they made and on those she did regarding them. And it was terrifying.

‘Dromeda look at me,’ said Ted, gently pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. ‘Don't think about that now. The time we have now, it's too perfect for me to give it up to fear. If you feel the same way I do —'

‘You know I do —'

‘Then if you do, my mom will see. And even if she doesn't, I'll know. That's what matters, okay? That we two trust each other. That we two know what's in the other's heart. Okay?’

Andromeda nodded and passed a hand in Ted's hair. ‘Okay,’ she whispered.

Ted gave her a kiss on the brow. ‘You know, what I told my mom about you... It's...’

Andromeda threw him a suspicious glare. ‘What?’

‘I said you were amazing, the most beautiful woman on earth, so smart you could take on the world with three words, I said you had a giant heart, I said you were straight out of a dream, nobody's ever gotten closer to perfection than you, I said you had the most mesmerising laugh —'

‘Ted,’ interrupted Andromeda laughing. ‘Really?’

‘Yeah, and more,’ continued Ted. ‘But I didn't tell her much about your family. About why we broke up. About why it's so hard. I just didn't know if it was my place.’

He stopped and looked at Andromeda. He waited patiently for her to say something, but she did not have a reply to offer.

‘You want me to tell her?’ She asked at last.

Ted shook his head. ‘I just think you should know the state of mind my mother is in, right now,’ he said. ‘But yeah, if you ever want to tell her, you know you'll be the first to do it.’

Andromeda bit her lip. ‘Thanks,’ she said, but she didn't know what to think.

Ted grabbed her shoulders and held her at arm's reach to look at her better.

‘You okay?’ He asked.

Andromeda inhaled deeply and threw her hair back. ‘Yes,’ she said, feeling better as cold air traveled through her lungs. ‘A little confused, maybe. But I'm with you.’

Ted smiled softly. For what could have been an eternity or simply a few seconds, they stared at each other, wordlessly.

Andromeda didn't know what woke her from the trance but she was the one to shake out of it and plant her lips on Ted's.

‘Restaurant or home cooking?’ She asked as their noses touched.

Ted thought for a second. ‘Take out at home,’ he said.

Andromeda gave him a long lingering kiss. ‘This is why I love you.’ She whispered in his ear before biting it teasingly.

Ted looked at her like an alert puppy. ‘Ok, we need to go home now,’ he said, and Andromeda laughed.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a long very long time ago, it's 1AM, I might have missed some mistakes or ugly turns of phrase. Please forgive those hehe  
> Hope you enjoyed, and have a great day! <3 ^^


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